Infants and other incontinent individuals wear wearable articles such as diapers to receive and contain urine and other body exudates. Pull-on wearable articles, or pant-type wearable articles, are those which are donned by inserting the wearer's legs into the leg openings and sliding the article up into position about the lower torso. Pant-type absorbent articles have become popular for use on children who are able to walk and often who are toilet training, as well as for younger children who become more active in movement such that application of taped-type absorbent articles tend to be more difficult.
Many pant-type wearable articles use elastic elements secured in an elastically contractible condition in the waist and/or leg openings. Typically, in order to insure full elastic fit about the leg and the waist such as is provided with durable undergarments, the leg openings and waist opening are encircled at least in part with elasticized elements positioned along the periphery of the respective opening.
Pant-type wearable articles having a main body to cover the crotch region of the wearer and a separate elastic belt defining the waist opening and leg opening are known in the art, such as described in PCT Publication WO 2006/17718A. Such pant-type wearable articles may be referred to as belt-type pants. On the other hand, certain pant-type wearable articles are configured such that the outer cover of the wearable body completely covers the entirety of the garment-facing surface of the article. Such pant-type wearable articles may be referred to as uni-body pants. Belt-type pants, compared to uni-body pants, may be advantageous in having better breathability by having less layers of material in certain areas of the articles, and in that they may be manufactured economically. On the other hand, uni-body pants, compared to belt-type pants, may be advantageous in providing good fit around the leg opening, as uni-body pants may be disposed of elastic members that completely encircle the leg opening. Sag protection and good fit for belt-type pants are mainly provided by the elastic belt. The leg opening of belt-type pants are rendered elastic by the combination of elasticity provided by the main body and the elastic belt. Thus, for belt-type pants, enhancing sag protection and good fit of the leg elastic may compromise comfort around the leg opening. Namely, while providing stronger tensile stress for the elastic belt may enhance sag protection and good fit for the article, such force may also apply to the leg opening and interfere with leg movement, or become a factor of red marking around the front leg opening region. Further, such balancing of sag protection, good fit and comfort around the leg opening should not compromise with good coverage of the buttock area.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a pant-type wearable article having balanced performance such as fit, coverage of buttock area, comfort during wear, prevention of sagging, and prevention of leakage. There is further a need for providing such a wearable article in an economical manner.